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Project

River North District Master Plan

San Antonio, Texas

Client: Downtown San Antonio Community Development Corporation

The Downtown San Antonio Community Development Corporation and the City of San Antonio co-sponsored the preparation of this master plan for a 375-acre transit-oriented development immediately north of downtown San Antonio. The San Antonio River flows through the center of the planning area and connects to the historic Riverwalk to the south. The resulting master plan, adopted in 2009, includes a form-based code and a detailed implementation strategy, transforming this underperforming area into a series of downtown-adjacent walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods.

The plan is based on the extension project of the historic Riverwalk and uses it to generate a new real estate dynamic in the center of San Antonio. Among the plan’s key actions are the transformation of Broadway from a wide highway to a pedestrian-friendly street, including generous sidewalks and a new streetcar line; adoption of neighborhood preservation and infill strategies; creation of a vibrant new performing arts district; development of a major new plaza fronting the San Antonio Museum of Art; and the renewal of historic buildings.

“The River North Master Plan, led by Moule & Polyzoides, was the most comprehensive master planning initiative ever undertaken by the City of San Antonio and their private sector leadership partners. The Plan was the first in San Antonio to embrace the principles of the New Urbanism, and was recognized by that organization with a Charter Award in the year it was completed. The RN Plan has been adopted as a component of the City’s Master Plan, and called for and resulted in a re-zoning of the majority of the Plan area utilizing a form-based code that has been approved and is in effect for the Plan area,” said San Antonio Downtown Community Development Corporation President Ben Brewer III. “The overall master plan process was truly inspirational, educational and will transform how development is addressed and takes place in San Antonio’s future.”